Hollister and Porter Hovey have been on my radar for ages, and it has been very remiss of me to not share them with you sooner!

They are bloggers and collectors who share my love of a decadent antiquarian aesthetic of taxidermy, anatomical charts, entomology, fencing masks, natural history prints, pith helmets, and apothecary jars ~ objects that are

“Accoutrements of the turn-of-the-19th-century leisure class”… “the tiny domed vignettes the Victorians were so fond of (artful arrangements of taxidermied squirrels, for example, in twiggy settings)”…and “Taxidermy, osteological antiques like monkey skeletons and other Victoriana”

The Hoveys are sisters from Kansas City.

They are not big-game hunters from the 1930′s. They are not taxidermists.

Hollister works in PR and Porter for a management consulting firm.

Featured in the New York Times and Elle Decoration UK, Hollister Hovey’s eponymous and very cool blog captures the trend that has been termed ‘New Vintage’ living.

This is not the type of decorating style that you can just go out and buy. It is a style of passion. A lifestyle of visual collage. “It’s a stitched-together, bricolage world, an alternative world,” writes Valerie Steele, the director of the Museum of the Fashion Institute of Technology. Collecting old things is a way of collecting the aura of a passed world or perhaps of collecting the passing of time itself.

But these are not just any sort of objects. These are intensely fascinating things. Faded patinas, gilding, whimsical details, furs and feathers, brass knobs, skeletons, aged maps. Each is inherently, potently unique, which – on its own – marks these things off from the endless stream of sameness characterising modern wares. Each object composing the eerie Victoriana aesthetic of Ryan Matthew’s apartment is irreplaceable and irreplaceably strange, particularly his mummified hunting dog.

This is more than a “New Vintage.” This is a statement of idiosyncratic individuality. Just as no two pieces of taxidermy will ever be the same (there are no copies in nature), no two apothecary bottles or Victorian pith helmets or vintage mirror will ever be equally the same. These lifelong collections express a love of texture and detail and the pleasures of beautifully, outlandishly, and outmodedly uniquely vibrant things.

Hollister muses about her life and her love for Ernest Hemingway, fashion, taxidermy, and traveling on the blog. The Novey sisters abode featured here showcases this antique spirit which is stuffed full of beautiful vintage finds.

Stepping into the loft is like walking into an exquisitely crafted exhibit of curiosities collected over a lifetime, from someone who has lived a fascinating life. Ms. Hovey has a wonderfully seasoned style that is a unique mix of colonial-end-of-the-empire textures and colors (zebra rug, hunting trophies), apothecary curiosities, ornate & eclectic vintage mixed harmoniously with simple, substantial modern pieces. And a bit of the gothic in there, but maybe that is in the eye of the beholder. Oh I just had a great time looking…finding little vignettes everywhere. Decor adore!Rose Callahan

Hollister Hovey is a really cool blog. It chronicles the discoveries of Hollister including ‘The Best New York Stores Selling Old-Looking Style’ and her tumblr site showcases her Objects Of Affection (A Graphic List Of Acquisitions And Desires).

the assemblage of decor and fashion images is an ode to feminine, French, and, yes, glamorous style.”

–Rebecca Robertson, Deputy Decorating Editor, Martha Stewart

{welcome to this is glamorous}

a celebration of design in all its forms: what began as a place to catalog beautiful things has transformed into an international place of inspiration, capturing the imaginations of thousands of daily readers from around the world . .
this award-winning design & lifestyle blog explores an enchanting array of topics including design, interiors, travel, fashion, art, photography, adventures in love and the daily search for beautiful things

{this is glamorous} been featured on many blogs, websites, newspapers and magazines including martha stewart, the washington post, design*sponge, decor8, apartment therapy, glamour and many other wonderful design and fashion websites, and was featured in the may 2010 issue of lucky magazine

I discovered Kelli Murray and her creative blog all things inspiring while looking for workspace pics.

Kelli is an illustrator, painter and designer from San Diego, California. Her blog is a collection of all the wonderful things that inspire her including art, fashion, design, and illustration as well as a glimpse into her own life and work.